If someone said to you, tell me about the Eau Claire Marathon in two sentences, what would you say?It's an experience! You get a fun atmosphere with great people that take care of their runners the whole way through. The scenery is enticing and keeps my feet moving all the way through because it's so different all the way through.

What advice do you have for any first time runners?It's 90% mental and 10% physical. Just make it to a selected landmark and then walk for two minutes, but don't give up and don't think about it. Just do it.

What training plan do you use?I've done Hal Higdon, but now I just run and cross train with weights, boot camp, and biking in the warmer months.

What other forms of exercise do you do to help your running?Strength training and yoga mostly.

What is your favorite running shoe? What other accessories do you need to run?My favorite go to is Brooks Launch. I am currently running in the Launch 4. I also need to have a running belt with my phone and any small necessity items. The less I can run with the better. The winter I load up on the right layering and sometimes ski goggles if way below zero.